It’s a plan that is intended to help the primarily Upstate-based food and beverage sector market its products to the large number of consumers in the New York City area.

Cuomo’s budget proposal identifies the food and beverage sector as one of the state’s “emerging industries” in need of state marketing support.

The $2 million “Taste-NY” project will include marketing and branding displays in high traffic areas like highway rest areas, train stations and airports. The plan also envisions “next-generation luxury vending machines” that will sell “predominantly New York State products free of all sales tax to the consumer,” according to the governor’s budget proposal.

Some of those tax-free vending machines will be located at state-owned facilities, but there will also be Taste-NY branded retail stores, food carts and more.

“I think it’s a brilliant strategy,” said Katleski, who attended Cuomo’s beer and wine summit last fall and has met with other industry leaders since then to discuss the marketing effort.

“The core population for these products lives in New York City, and the idea is to start with that and spread out from there,” Katleski said.

Cuomo held his yogurt summit in August, after identiifying the huge growth in the Greek yogurt industry in New York in recent years, fueled by companies like Chobani and Fage, both of which have large Upstate operations.

The beer, wine and spirits summit in October brought together representatives from the state’s 300-plus wineries, nearly 100 breweries, plus the growing hard cider and
distilled spirits makers.

At both summits, Cuomo also pledged to reduce the red tape and state regulations that hamper the growth of businesses in these sectors.